Hallelujah for a 3 day weekend! Putting aside all thoughts of incomplete projects and other responsibilities, we pulled the gear out of hiding and made a beeline for the South San Juan Wilderness; this time exploring the altitudinous meadows along the upper reaches of the Los Pinos drainage, the Jarosa Mesa and Flat Mountain. Thanks to the bionic redo of the subie, we were able to take the lazy way out, chugging up several extra miles of forest road, leaving less than 4 miles of uphill cross-country scrambling (all efforts to stay on a marked, previously traveled route were thwarted at every turn by downed trees and disappearing tracks) to reach the mesa. Somehow we lucked out and the worst of the late monsoon season thunderstorms politely rolled by us on Day 2, allowing plenty of leisure time to explore Red Lake, the numerous smaller alpine lakes, ponds, puddles, and bogs, as well as hike a short section of the CDT to the ridge of Flat mountain. Finally, as the sky took on a more threatening hue, we hurried back down into the valley for the night. A quick downhill stroll the next morning ensured we had plenty of time for a short detour to check out the fishing scene at Trujillo Resevoir before heading home.
